It's worth the wait for Buffalo Grove
Three-time defending Mid-Suburban League softball champion Buffalo Grove was one of the last MSL teams to play when it opened its season on Tuesday in Des Plaines.
"I was really anxious to play," said senior Julia Camardo, who has pitched the Bison to the last three East crowns. "I wanted the season to start as soon as possible."
You could say the Bison started off as fast as possible.
They pushed across 7 runs in their first inning of the season and Camardo pitched a 1-hit shutout as BG blanked Maine West 10-0 in six innings.
"I was happy the way it turned out," said Camardo, who along with team practiced the last two weeks primarily in the field house and lower basin of the BG parking lot. "I was nervous before the game but it was excitement more than anything. Once I threw the first pitch, all that went away and I just played my game."
She plays that game with junior catcher Emily Carnes, who not only caught Camardo's gem but also aided to it with her bat.
Carnes went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI while batting in the No. 3 spot.
"This is really special," Carnes said of the Bison's impressive start to the spring. "Hopefully we'll keep it up. We've been stuck in the field house and the lower basin for so long so it's get great to get out and play a game.
"Julia did great. She was really hitting her spots and had a lot of movement on the ball."
The Bison put the ball in play plenty of times in the first inning as senior catalyst Caitlin Catino (2-for-4) started the inning with a single to left. Also reaching base in the inning were Carnes (single to left), Camardo (walk), Nikki Longdon (single to right), Grace Gran (walk) and Olivia Morini (bases-loaded double to left).
Leadoff batter Catino (2-for-4) and No. 2 hitter Katie Fontanetta (2-for-4) each joined Carnes as multiple hitters for the Bison, who added 1 run apiece in the second, fourth and sixth innings.
Camardo lined an RBI single to center to score Fontanetta in the second.
Carnes also lined a single to center in the fourth to drive home Catino for the 9-0 cushion.
Dea Barton's groundout to second brought home the tenth run in the sixth inning in which Carnes led off with her long double to right center.
"It was a good start to the season," said BG coach Jamie Paul. "We manufactured that final run in the last inning. We played solid defense and I was happy with our run production. We just need to limit our strikeouts."
Maine West sophomore Grace Feldkamp (2-3) struck out six and also made an alert cutoff on a relay from center. She then turned and picked a runner off second base as Jordan hart made the tag.
Feldkamp also broke up Camardo's perfect game when she lined a single to center with one out in the fourth inning.
The Warriors (2-3) then loaded the bases when Nicole Byerly and Kayla Pociejewski reached base.
Camardo got out of the jam with a nifty 5-2-3 double play (third baseman Jasmine Avalos threw to Carnes, who threw to first baseman Longdon).
"That first inning killed us," said Maine West coach Mike McGovern. "Sometimes it's tough when you have to adapt to different pitchers day to day (West defeated Rolling Meadows on Monday). But it's early in the season.
"Most team would have folded after that first inning. But we played them tough the rest of the way and we were knocking on the door."